This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Macy’s; as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
Calling all Chicago readers! Join me on January 19 at 12pm for a delicious afternoon at the Macy’s on State Street with Macy’s Culinary Council and Chef Josh Capon. Learn from this master chef as he ...

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Macy’s; as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
Calling all Chicago readers! Join me for a delicious afternoon at the Macy's on State Street with Macy's Culinary Council and Chef Bill Kim (of urbanbelly and bellyQ fame) on December 8 at 12pm. Learn ...

Last Sunday, Cochon555, a culinary competition featuring 5 chefs cooking 5 whole, heritage breed pigs landed in Chicago. This epic pork feast visits 20 major cities in North America annually and stages over 60 events. The winners from the different cities compete at the national finale, Grand Cochon, in October to be crowned the Prince, or ...

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Macy’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Today's kids, raised on shows like Masterchef Junior and Chopped, love to cook. My kids are no exception. They love to bake cookies and cupcakes and help me prepare family meals. So when I found that JR could participate ...

As some of you know, my first book, Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing and Giving was published this month. I am incredibly proud and excited to introduce this labor of love to the world. Food Swap is a joy to look at: full of beautiful photographs and charming design elements. I think the recipes are pretty terrific too. But don't ...

Between my two-week vacation and my early January move, I was not prepared for the first Chicago Food Swap event of 2016. In fact, I had been quite lax about promoting the swap and, as a result, it looked like we were going to have quite a low turnout.
But then, a whole bunch of last-minute registrations came in, and a few people even showed ...

The Chicago Food Swap celebrated its fourth anniversary on December 6 with an outstanding swap. There were new faces, old friends, delicious food and prizes. Yes, prizes! To mark the occasion, we had two culinary-themed door prizes at the December swap: the new KitchenAid Precision Press French press, which I gather is the gift for the at-home ...

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
In the pantheon of Chicago celebrity chefs, Stephanie Izard ranks among my favorites. Not only was Stephanie the first woman to win on “Top Chef,” my favorite television show, she is ...

Today's post is sponsored by Door to Door Organics, an organic grocery delivery service in Chicago. Keep reading to learn how you can get $10 off your first order and win a $50 gift certificate from Door to Door Organics.
Along with stuffing, I am constantly tinkering with the recipe for my Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. I've tried garlic ...

The Chicago Food Swap met this past weekend on a beautiful fall Sunday at the Peterson Garden Project's Community Cooking School. The group was made up almost entirely of veteran swappers, with only one or two new faces in the crowd. Having almost all experienced swappers in attendance certainly makes my job easier!
The offerings were especially ...

The inaugural Chicago Food + Wine Festival took over Lincoln Park this weekend and judging by the enthusiasm of the crowd, Chicago was clearly hungry - pun very much intended - for an event of this kind. Perhaps because this was the first year, the crowds were not overwhelming. There were very few lines, except for highly-sought-after events like ...

The Chicago Food Swap had its August event on a perfect summer Saturday. A large group of returning swappers and some new faces joined together to trade and swap a diverse array of homemade and homegrown treats from backyard herbs and vegetables to South Asian curry and rice dishes to New York’s iconic black-and-white cookies. The offerings were so ...

The Chicago Food Swap met on July 18 for a warm midsummer swap that ended with a bang. Naturally, I am referring to the thunderstorm that hit just as everyone was leaving the swap. I don't know about everyone else, but I got drenched on the short walk to my car. Luckily, my swap items were all protected. Another reason to package your items ...

The Chicago Food Swap had its June event on the 14th and if you needed proof that summer was here, the fresh and delicious swap offerings would have convinced you. Not were there plenty of fresh herbs and even some healthy-looking plants on display, but one swapper brought homemade strawberry buttermilk ice cream. It tasted like summer in a ...

Chicago knows its Latin food. With a large and thriving Mexican population and some of the country’s best Mexican restaurants — need I mention Rick Bayless? — Chicagoans understand that the cuisine of Mexico is one of the finest in the world and extends far beyond tacos and enchiladas. With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, it is a great time ...

With May right around the corner, farmers' markets are starting to open up all around the country. Sadly, I still have a few more weeks until my beloved Oak Park Farmers' Market, home of delicious, freshly made doughnuts, begins. I can hardly contain my excitement. For those of you in warmer climes, the wait may be much shorter.
As a home ...

The Chicago Food Swap's April event had a very special guest: food preservation expert Cathy Barrow of the blog Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen. Cathy is touring the country promoting her new, award-winning cookbook Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry and stopped by the Chicago Food Swap to sign some books and, yes, swap with us.
Cathy had sent ahead ...

What a difference a month makes! While we all had to trudge through a blizzard to make it to the February swap, it was sunny and mild in downtown Chicago the day of the March Chicago Food Swap. For this event, we returned to The Chopping Block, Chicago's premier recreational cooking school, located in the iconic Merchandise Mart. This was the ...

Last Sunday, February 15, was the February meeting of the Chicago Food Swap As I trudged through the snow, wind howling around me, on my way to the Fearless Food Kitchen in the Broadway Armory Field House, I suddenly remembered that the 2014 February Chicago Food Swap took place in similarly bad weather. Note to self: perhaps skip February next ...

My third and final 2015 Restaurant Week meal was lunch at Nightwood, the Pilsen restaurant owned and operated by the Lula Cafe team. Located on an out-of-the-way corner -- hey, at least there's street parking -- Nightwood is a pleasant spot with exposed brick walls, a windowed front wall and deeply 70's leather chairs. I gather the outdoor patio ...

Another day, another Restaurant Week meal. This time, my $22, pre-fixe lunch came courtesy of GT Fish & Oyster. This was my third visit to this nationally recognized, East Coast style seafood restaurant and once again, I was reminded why I love it.
GT Fish & Oyster is one of the restaurants that does not condescend to its Restaurant ...

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
In the pantheon of Chicago celebrity chefs, Stephanie Izard ranks among my favorites. Not only was Stephanie the first woman to win on "Top Chef," my favorite television show, she is ...

The Chicago Food Swap started its fourth year off with a bang at the January food swap. A few timely mentions in the local press, such as the Chicago Reader and the Check Please Planner, brought a wave of new swappers who mixed right in with the returning veterans. And there was plenty of delicious food all around.
One of the highlights of ...

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Chicago is a city rich in celebrity chefs from Rick Bayless to Stephanie Izard. One of the international celebrity chefs that Chicago likes to claim as its own is Chef Takashi ...

The final meeting for 2014 of the Chicago Food Swap took place this past Sunday at Peterson Garden Project's Fearless Food Kitchen in the Broadway Armory Field House. Despite freezing temperatures, snow flurries and parking woes, the event was a tremendous success. Everyone left laden down with delicious homemade and homegrown food and a warm ...